Cliff Richard - Back from the Wilderness Singles and Albums 1975 - 1995

I get it.

 

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed... no, no, sorry wrong thread! Yesterday I watched 'Finders Keepers' after ordering the DVD from Amazon.
Here's a little review.
The quality of the disc is certainly tolerable, it is a pity it's presented in the 4:3 ratio whereas the movie itself is in the widescreen ratio and therefore reduces the picture even more than it should've been but there you go. There's no special features, only a scene index and the sound is mono. The film itself is a little cheesy and of it's time, though I was surprised Cliff and the Shadows were acting as 'themselves' within the movies plot. I used the term 'plot' loosely, of course. Bomb drops out of a plane and lands in Spain unexploded, Cliff and the Shadows happen to be at the right place at the right time to help to find it and save the local villages fishing night by singing some songs and thwarting both the US Army and some bumbling spies in the process. Thereabouts. It's about as deep as a sixties Elvis movie with some Beatle-esque group mayhem thrown in for good measure. It's still an enjoyable romp though for us Cliff fans and the songs were always good, it's just nice to see them set to pictures finally (for me). Quite why this film had slipped through the net in terms of availability over the years is surprising, admittedly it hasn't got the same hits as the 'big three' but it's still serviceable. I suppose it could be down to publishing rights and ownership. Overall, as a Cliff fan or a fan of British sixties movies, I'd say catch it if you can, it's a rainy afternoon kind of movie more than a Saturday night big film movie but if the price is right, I'd say it's worth a punt.

 

The musical moments in the film - "TIME DRAGS BY", "WASHERWOMAN" etc - are wonderful. Great to see if you consider them little "music videos". As a film... Well, you said it. An enjoyable enough romp in some ways, but hardly a memorable film.

Had the film been better, Cliff & The Shads´ careers might have taken a different, more rewarding turn. As you say, it´s enjoyable in its own way, but compared to what other artists were doing around this time... Not so impressive.

But the music impressive. One of their best projects together.

 

I just picked up a Mono copy of the Finders Keepers album and I quite enjoy it. A question though, not just for this album but other 60s Cliff albums - Were his mono albums simply fold downs from the Stereo versions or did they do any special mixing on them.

 

I suppose @Chris Lane is the right person to answer this. But - at least in the early years, there were very different mixes for stereo and mono versions of the songs. (Especially the album tracks - some singles were just mono.) If you study the tracks in Robert Porter´s database, he - helped by Chris - informs the reader whether the mono and stereo mixes were different or the same takes/edits/mixes. Just click on the title, and you get all the information you need.

Below you´ll find a sample of the first two "FINDERS KEEPERS" tracks. They look much better in the actual database. Just click on the version found here: Cliff Richard Song Database - 1960s Songs

Finder's Keepers sessions
April to September 1966

Finders Keepers Cliff Richard and The Shadows
[2:36] Mono Version Initially released on: Finders Keepers Album [Mono Issue] in 1966 1966/24
[2:36] Stereo Version Initially released on: Finders Keepers Album [Stereo Issue] in 1966 1966/25
[2:23] Edited Movie Version Initially released on: Finders Keepers Album [Video Release] in 1996 1966/26
[2:36] Reverse Stereo Version Initially released on: Congratulations To Cliff Album [French Issue] in 2007 1966/27
Time Drags By Cliff Richard and The Shadows
[2:33] Mono Version Initially released on: Finders Keepers Single [Mono Issue] in 1966 1966/28
[2:33] Stereo Version Initially released on: Finders Keepers Album [Stereo Issue] in 1966 1966/29
[2:33] Reverse Stereo Version Initially released on: Congratulations To Cliff Album [French Issue] in 2007 1966/30
[2:03] Alternate Movie Version Initially released on: Finders Keepers Album [Video Release] in 1996

 

Thanks. One I did check on was Established 1958 and I could not find any reference to different mixes on the mono variants, so assume this one would be a fold down, maybe because Mono was becoming less popular so they did not want to spend time and money on proper remixing.

 

Did you manage to get one with the inner sleeve!!? Hope so!
It's not a bad album and isn't vinyl just great? Big artwork, sleeve notes and everything!
I sometimes wonder about the history of the second hand albums I pick up. Were they Christmas joys for the young ones of the day or birthday treats or a pay day must-have?
Who knows?
On my copy of the 'Two A Penny' soundtrack it has a written inscription confessing some blokes undying love for his wife, hoping she has a wonderful Christmas and that she is the best wife ever. Or words to that affect. Quite touching and yet I feel as though I shouldn't be reading such a personal note. I mentioned it to my wife and she thought it was quite sweet too, I hastened to add that if she ever buys me an album for Christmas in no uncertain terms DO NOT write ANYTHING on the back of it!! Thankee!
Anyways.

As for the eternal mono vs stereo differences... I know that on the mono 'The Young Ones' LP, 'The Young Ones' song is the undubbed version (no strings, just The Shads), so presumably on the stereo album it was the undubbed version also (albeit in stereo) and not the 'mock stereo' with strings single version that seemed to turn up on the much later re-releases. If you get my drift, Phew!
If I recall correctly on 'Cliff Sings' a few of the mono tracks were different masters altogether for the stereo EP from that album. A similar thing happened on the first few stereo albums for a couple of the tracks also, if I'm not mistaken...
Happy Hunting!​

 

I only got the EMI bag with the ads if that is what you mean. The record looks reasonably okay, and it was only £7 but I get the impression that it has been played with a worn stylus and there is a small jumps halfway through The Shadows track at the start of Side 2, so I might have to look for another copy sometime.
Regarding The Young Ones album, as far as I am aware, when Norrie Paramour added the strings, they were added and mixed down into mono for the single but apparently as an oversight, no one thought about making a stereo master, so there is no stereo master with the strings. He did a similar thing with The Shadows Wonderful Land, but someone had the foresight to keep a proper stereo version too, although it got lost somewhere until it was re-discovered several years ago. I quite like the album but not the "show" numbers very much especially the long one on side 2. And I could do without No One for Me but Nicky. There’s quite a contrast in Cliff’s soundtracks to those by Elvis. I remember the big battle between The Young Ones and Rock a Hula Baby/Can’t Help Falling In Love singles and the respective albums too. It’s kinda difficult to believe that Cliff fans went for some of the stuff on his album.

I also picked up a pretty good copy of his first album for £9 with the original green label.

 

The inner sleeve my 'Finders Keepers' LP came with was a specific Finders Keepers one with a few extra pictures, the track listing and cast/producer credits etc.

 

Just checked and I did get the inner sleeve you mentioned. I had just finished making a copy of the Established 1958 album and it was that one that I had on my mind at the time....anyhow cleaned it up on Audacity and apart from the jump, it sounds pretty good now, but the jump is annoying so if I come across a better copy, I’ll buy it. My Cliff mono vinyl collection is coming along nicely but a coup,e of weeks ago while away, I came across a mono of Don’t Stop Me Now with a good sleeve, but when I got home and set about recording it, the album turned out to be a stereo version which I missed when checking the record out. There are still a few mono albums I need such as Me and My Shadows, Listen To, More Hits, Kinda Latin, Sincerely and a couple of the pantomime releases and then there are the two gospel ones which I am not sure I will bother with. He simply cannot do gospel like Elvis can.

 

I ended up getting the gospel ones just out of completeness really but I agree about the sixties gospel album as being a little 'staid' to say the least especially when compared to Elvis' performances. If you're referring to the 'About a Man' and 'His Land' albums then they are definitely just for completeness on my part when it comes to playability. In fact I've only ever listened to the CD's once and it was enough. The songs could've made a decent EP's worth of material on both counts and despite myself I don't think I'll ever listen to those vinyl versions I picked up.
However, I think the seventies gospel offerings come into their own somewhat and can be fairly enjoyable albums in their own right.
PS. Glad you got the inner sleeve for 'Finders Keepers', it's all part of the package!

 

Yes, I do mean About A Man and His Land. Out of the 18 "two-fer’ CDs that came out many years ago, the one that contains those two albums is the only one I have not got. When I bought a couple of albums last week, I could have bought those two albums on vinyl, but I could not convince myself that paying out £35 for the two was worth it for the completeness side of things when I doubt I would play them after the first time.
I would like to pick up all his EPs (have always liked the uniqueness of EPs) but some of them are silly money when in good condition.
What I have found recently is that I am enjoying the 70s albums much more than i thought I would. I did get a couple when they originally came out, but I think I had a bit of a mental block in accepting his ‘new’ sound back then.

 

Good to hear the last bit! I hope you get to enjoy them even more as time goes by.

I see the EPs now and then on Discogs, and lately some of them have been quite cheap. I saw a rather inexpensive copy of the "LA LA LA LA LA" EP for sale recently. Hope you find the ones you want!

 

Got exciting mail today. One was the 2018 concert on Blu-ray. I haven´t seen this one yet, but I can´t wait to hear him sing "BEAT IT!".

The other inclusion in the packet was an unusual release:



1. "TWO HEARTS" Extended version 06:25
2. "SHOOTING FROM THE HEART" 03:05 (Bonus track)
3. "SOME PEOPLE" Extended version 07:40 (NB! I haven´t checked this, but this is listed as being longer than the 12" version, which was 05:54!)
4. "PEACE IN OUR TIME" Extended version 08:14
5. "WILD GEESE" 04:28 (Bonus track)
6. "MY PRETTY ONE" Extended version 07:03 (Original 12" states 06:49)
7. "LEAN ON YOU" Extended version 08:08
8. "SHE´S SO BEAUTIFUL" Extended version 07:14
9. "WE DON´T TALK ANYMORE" Remix 04:10 (the 1990 remix is slightly longer longer, 04:38, whereas the 1991 version was 5:22, I think...)
10. "STRONGER THAN THAT" Extended version 07:38
11. "PEACE IN OUR TIME" Gospel Mix 05:54
12. "LA GONAVE" 04:06 (Bonus track)
13. "REMEMBER ME" Extended version 05:48

I´ll let you know more when I have listened to it. I wish they had included "NEVER SAY DIE (GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE)", "BORN TO ROCK´N´ROLL", "HEART USER", "I JUST DON´T HAVE THE HEART" and a few more besides - no pun intended! - but rather a nice compilation.

 

I had to have a look and a listen...

This compilation was rumoured to be a promo release. It´s a CD-R, and the sound quality is not great. The printed material looks cheaply done, and there is even a typo on the side of the album art - it says "DIGITAL REMASTERED", missing two LL´s and a Y. Hmm... I smell a bootleg.

Anyway - it was an interesting listen. Most of them were the official extended mixes, but there were some notable differences here and there.

1. "TWO HEARTS" Extended version 06:25 - This sounded like the original 12" version. I had forgotten that this boring song actually sounded better as a longer song!
2. "SHOOTING FROM THE HEART" 03:05 (Bonus track) The original 7"/album mix, but... It sounds a bit different. Perhaps a bit compressed?
3. "SOME PEOPLE" Extended version 07:40 This is an expanded version of the 12" extended version, with added flourishes here and there. Quite nice, actually.
4. "PEACE IN OUR TIME" Extended version 08:14 Original 12" version.
5. "WILD GEESE" 04:28 (Bonus track) The same as the 12"/CD single version, but, just like track 2, it sounded more sparse, and more trebly. Not in a good way.
6. "MY PRETTY ONE" Extended version 07:03 This one was the 12" extended version, but I think there were bits added to the intro and outro of the song. Mysterious.
7. "LEAN ON YOU" Extended version 08:08 Original 12"/CD single version, I think. As lovely as ever.
8. "SHE´S SO BEAUTIFUL" Extended version 07:14 The original 12" version, I think. Still boring...
9. "WE DON´T TALK ANYMORE" Remix 04:10 This is an edited version of the 1990 remix, but I don´t think it´s the German 7" edit. Also mysterious.
10. "STRONGER THAN THAT" Extended version 07:38 The original 12"/CD single mix, I think.
11. "PEACE IN OUR TIME" Gospel Mix 05:54 The original CD single mix, I think.
12. "LA GONAVE" 04:06 (Bonus track) The intro is longer than the album version, and it could be a needle drop with clicks and pops, but it sounds more like this was an added
effect. It´s way too rhythmic. It also has the compressed sound of tracks 2 and 5.
13. "REMEMBER ME" Extended version 05:48 The original 12"/CD single mix, I think.

This was an unusual listen. I first suspected it was a bootleg, but there are some added bits here and there that I think only those in control of the master tapes could add. I don´t know... I can´t recommend this - the audio is not great. But an interesting curio it turned out to be.

 

There must have been quite some time between my Cliff album #8 (Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile) and the next one. And I'll pass rather quickly over #9, as it is only half an album.
The Rock Connection is obviously a rushed affair, released to fill a gap. I won't bother with the songs from Rock 'n' Roll Silver or the Dynamite remake.
In addition, I think of Willie And The Hand Jive and Learning How To Rock 'n' Roll more or less as novelty songs - just a bit of fun in the studio. Although the former is surprisingly lifeless; the original is one of the more interesting songs from the first years of Cliff's career.

That leaves us with four new songs. I heard Shooting From The Heart when the single was released, and was/is seriously underwhelmed. Nothing more than nice - although i like the last few seconds towards the fade-out; the only interesting part, as far as I'm concerned.

The second single was much better, IMO. I like Heart User quite a lot - and Cliff played a good version of it live in October '85 if I recall correctly.
La Gonave is even better - the intro is quite clever with the synth imitating the boat engine, and the song is really powerful at times. I cringe a bit at the "didn't leave my heart in San Francisco" bit, but it's still a great song. One of Cliff's best ever self-written songs.

Lovers And Friends is OK, but fairly average - which goes for Over You, too. Nothing special, but nothing to get upset about, either.

This album was the first time I heard She Means Nothing To Me. A great song, with a bit of raw power that's too rare in Cliff's discography.

Not the greatest of albums, then. But it did produce a tour, on which I was able to see Cliff with what must have been one of his best bands ever. And with full light-/laser show; I don't think he ever did that bit to such an extent on later tours.

 

I enjoy reading your dissertations of the albums you bought, and your reactions and reflections often mirror - hah! - those of my own. To me, "THE ROCK CONNECTION" is more of a compilation than a real album. I won´t go into all of the songs, but I think a few deserve a mention.

"SHOOTING FROM THE HEART" and "HEART USER" are both nice songs. Very nice and pleasant. (And yes, the outro of the former song is perhaps the most interesting aspect of the whole song! Considering who wrote it, it´s not that surprising that it sounds twenty years out of date. Still, a nice album track. Just not strong enough for a single.) "HEART USER" has a very catchy intro, and it´s a good opening for the album, but again - not single material, IMO. (And I just dislike the lyrics - cliche upon cliche.)

Unlike you, I kind of like the new version of "WILLIE AND THE HAND JIVE". It´s cool, I think. "LEARNING HOW TO ROCK´N´ROLL" is also a favourite - he performed it years before he released it - the first live rendition I came across was in the 1980 Apollo Victoria concert. A novelty? Maybe, but I like it. I think of it as sounding old, but in a good way.

I agree 100% about "LA GONAVE" - great song. (I mentioned something about the alternate version in my post before yours. Nice to hear the song again, only slightly different.) Yes, one of his best songs as a composer, along with "BULANGE DOWNPOUR", "WHERE YOU ARE" and the "THE 31ST OF FEBRUARY STREET" songs.

"SHE MEANS NOTHING TO ME" is the highlight of the album for me, too. The cold ending used here suited the song. I like both versions, though.

"OVER YOU" and "LOVERS AND FRIENDS" are two of the most forgettable songs released by Cliff during the 80s. Just boring, IMO.

I can imagine the tour was great - was that the same band he used on the "ROCK IN AUSTRALIA" tour? I loved the VHS of that concert, which I now own on DVD. "LOVE STEALER" is another highlight form the tour. (Though not the album, of course.) Also love Cliff´s version of "UNDER THE GUN".

 

I would have liked him to have recorded a proper full length version of 31st February Street even if it was archived. It could have been added as a bonus song on the expanded CD release.

 

I doubt there ever was one. I like the two segments we get on the album - I don´t know if he had any ideas of how to take it any further. But, like you, I would love to hear it.

 

Indeed. There is no evidence in the session logs. But yes, the opening and closing versions are great, hence how great it would have been to have had a longer version.

 

Really enjoyed Twiggy’s 1976 album.

Not that this song has anything to do with it.

 

Nope. But Twiggy always seemed to enjoy her fame, and what it brought her. Hard to dislike her! I haven´t heard the album you mention. Should I check it out?

 

I'm quite certain the band was the same. The setlist was changed, though: To my delight it was a pure 76-85 show, apart from Move It.
Is Rock In Australia generally available? I've never come across it on DVD anywhere.
And yes, to my (not entirely reliable) memory, Under The Gun sounded great.
BTW, Cliff played one song I've not heard ever since: Take Me Back. Does anyone know anything about that song?

 

Thanks. A great band, indeed. He has always surrounded himself with great people. The setlist sounds great, too - 1976-1985 is OK with me.

No, "ROCK IN AUSTRALIA" is not generally available, but I did come across a version that might have a shadowy background. It seems to have been mastered from a VHS.

"TAKE ME BACK" is a song I was unaware of, unless it is a cover of Elton John´s 1980 song.

 

Yes, it won’t blow your mind but it’s pleasant country pop.

The lead single, Here I Go Again, was a UK top 20 hit.